New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and is being federally indicted in a bribery conspiracy that included donation fraud and a lot more.
On the same day this happened, Gov. Hochul said in remarks about the subway attack that New Yorkers are “sick and tired of reading headlines about crime” and that it “has to stop.”
If only it would stop in the halls of your state’s government, eh Kathy?
Watch this local news report on the indictment.
And here are authorities discussing the case this morning.
The New York Times reports that:
The five-count indictment accused Mr. Benjamin of conspiring to direct state funds to a Harlem real estate investor in exchange for orchestrating thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to Mr. Benjamin’s unsuccessful 2021 campaign for New York City comptroller.
“In so doing, Benjamin abused his authority as a New York State senator, engaging in a bribery scheme using public funds for his own corrupt purposes,” prosecutors charged in the indictment. The investor was arrested on federal charges in November.
The indictment — the result of an investigation by the F.B.I., U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the city’s Department of Investigation — also charged that Mr. Benjamin subsequently “engaged in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up the scheme,” including falsifying campaign donation forms, misleading New York City authorities and giving false information as part of a background check to become lieutenant governor last year.
Democrats corrupt? YOU DON’T SAY.